Being a Black
by Mystique6
Summary: What makes a person who they are? Nature...or nurture?


Author's note: So I've always been interested in the Black family from Harry Potter. Bellatrix Lestrange is my favroite character so I've always wondered what she was like growing up. I do have to ask that you hang in there because eventually the trio and moe popular characters will get in there as Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter come's into play.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Harry Potter. All rights belong to J.K. Rowling.

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Being a Black

Druella Rosier could hear the music drifting up the stairs followed by the soft hum of voices from all the guests. It was the first party of the summer, an honor her family had this year. The summer season began the second the school year ended for the pureblood families. Only the wealthiest and the pure could attend. Everyone would parade around their wealth with the newest fashions and splendid décor. Every family tried to out-do the others. Druella should have been excited, but she was miserable. She couldn't possibly dread this evening more.

Her mother sighed, irritated with her sullenness. "Druella try not to look so sullen," she scolded taking a step back after pinning her honey blonde curls in place. "You look beautiful. You should be smiling." Druella stared at herself in the mirror. She did look beautiful. Her hair was perfectly curled and framed her face sweetly. Her dress, a navy blue with tiny white Polk-a-dots with a white sailor collar, was of the latest fashion and tailored perfectly to her. But her appearance couldn't fix what was really wrong.

"Mother I don't want to do this," she insisted turning to face her mother.

This time when her mother sighed there was a tinge of anger. "You don't have a choice in the matter, Druella," her mother said, face drawn in a tight frown.

"Well that's what I have a problem with," she cried. "If you'd just let me make my own decisions…"

"No!" her mother shouted. "That's not how things like this work. You've been betrothed to Cygnus Black III since you were a year old. There is no getting out of this so you might as well accept this now. Cygnus is a fine match. He's the best anyone could hope for. The Black family is extremely wealthy and extremely powerful. You should be grateful he wants to marry you."

"He doesn't want to marry me!" Druella cried. "This marriage is an arrangement for him also. It's a… it's a business arrangement!"

"Enough," her mother said firmly in the voice that always shut Druella up instantly, afraid her mother may breathe fire. "I'm done arguing with you about this. You have no choice. Play your part and don't ruin this for yourself. Now, I'm going down to greet the guests. You have ten minutes to compose yourself."

Druella glared at her mother's retreating back. "I wouldn't be ruing anything for me," she muttered bitterly flouncing angrily on her bed. She closed her eyes and let the sounds from downstairs soothe her. If she was being honest it wasn't Cygnus she was opposed to, it was just the arrangement. Arranged marriage. Just the thought of it made her feel sick. She wanted to marry for love. She wanted to marry a man she was passionately in love with. She wanted to marry a man she would walk to the ends of the earth and back for, and for him to do the same for her. She wanted a to marry a man who wanted to marry her because he couldn't spend a day without her, not a man who only wanted her because she was part of a business transaction. She wanted to be loved.

Her parents tried to assure her that they would learn to love each other, they had after all. And it was true. Although her parents were hardly passionate towards each other they were affectionate. Chaste kisses here and there, a warm smile and knowing glance. They had a good marriage; it just wasn't the marriage Druella wanted. She sighed and got up, straightening out her dress and slipping into her shoes. Taking a deep breath she walked down the stairs as slowly as if she were going to a funeral. In a way she was, with each step she felt a part of herself dying. She stopped halfway down the stairs and let a beam of light sweep over her. "Announcing Miss Druella Rosier," a booming voice called. There was polite applause and Druella watched as a tall, dark haired man approach her. Cygnus Black she realized.

She continued down and accepted his offered arm. "Lovely to meet you, Druella," he greeted politely.

Druella forced a smile. "Likewise," she replied.

"Druella," her mother's sharp voice called from the corner. "Come meet Mr. and Mrs. Black."

"No need for formalities," the man said. Like his son he was tall and dark, unsurprising really, the Black family was known to be handsome. "You can call me Pollux and my wife Irma. It's very nice to make your acquaintance. The last time I saw you, you were just a baby."

"It's very nice to meet you both," Druella replied, forcing a smile to remain on her face.

Irma Black gave her a kind smile. "We can't even begin to tell you how excited we are for you to join the family," she gushed and Druella began to smile more easily. Irma Black was someone she could easily like. "We only want the best for our boy and you are just perfect!"

"Now don't overwhelm the poor girl, Irma," Pollux said. "They hardly know each other yet after all."

"Why don't you show Cygnus the garden, Druella?" her mother encouraged. "You two should get to know each other."

Druella reluctantly turned to face Cygnus. "Would you like to see the garden?" she asked.

"I would love to," he replied offering his arm again. The two made their way into the garden, which was lit by moonlight and fairy orbs. They didn't talk much as they strolled along the winding paths. She stopped to point out intriguing sights throughout the garden, but she acted more like a tour-guide than a fiancé. "You don't like me very much, do you?" Cygnus asked suddenly.

Druella looked up suddenly, and looked him in the eye for the first time all night. She should have been blushing or quickly reassuring him that she liked him very much. Instead all she said was, "I don't know you."

Cygnus nodded solemnly. "Yes, I suppose it is odd to find your fiancé a complete stranger," he replied kindly. "I've often thought out parents should have introduced us much sooner. I do have to say you're nothing like I expected."

Druella felt her chest tighten. What had he expected? Had he expected her to swoon upon sight of him and fall happily into his arms? She felt angry at the very idea. She wanted to push him in the garden's fountain for even thinking of her that way. "Sorry to disappoint," she said stiffly, willing herself to not cause a seen.

He laughed then and sat on the edge of the fountain. "You misunderstand me," he chuckled. "I did not mean that in a bad way. You're just more honest than I thought you'd be."

"Why would I lie?" she asked still peeved.

Cygnus shrugged. "Why does anyone lie?" he theorized. "To please your family, to spare someone's feelings, because lying will get you what you want."

"Well that's silly," Druella replied. "Although if I hurt your feelings I guess I owe you an apology."

"Hardly," Cygnus replied. "I never expected you to be in love with me, just for you to pretend to be. I mean, it would be absurd for you to feel anything romantic towards me, as you said, you don't know me."

Druella looked at him considering. "What house were you in at Hogwarts?" she asked bluntly.

"What does that matter?" Cygnus asked puzzled.

"We don't know each other," she answered. "This is one way to remedy the situation. Now which house did you belong to?"

"Slytherin of course," he replied. "And you?"

"Slytherin," she said. "What's your line of work?"

"I deal with money transactions done by Gringotts," he responded. "It's not very exciting, but I'm not the type to not work."

Druella nodded, approving this odd trait of the aristocrat. "Your relationship with you parents?" she shot off.

"We're very close," he answered firmly. "I'm close to my sister Walburga, also."

"I didn't see her here," Druella said.

"I'm afraid she's not feeling very well," Cygnus replied sadly. "She's just suffered a miscarriage."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Druella said. "That must have been terrible for her. And for you and your parents."

"Yes, they were quite excited at the thought of having a grandchild," he said. "And I would have loved being an uncle." They sat in silence for a few moments. "Well, what about you?"

"Me?" she questioned.

"Well, you've learned some bits about me; don't I get to know some more about you?" he teased.

Druella blushed. "I'm afraid there's not much to know," she responded. "I still have a year left of school, my life really isn't that exciting."

"I'm sure that's not true," Cygnus said. "What's your favorite subject?"

"Muggle studies," she blurted out and then paled when she remembered that the Blacks were one of the more pureblood supremist families.

Sure enough a disapproving look was encroaching Cygnus's handsome face. He almost looked disgusted. "Muggle studies!" he practically choked on the words.

Druella blushed and looked down at her shoes. "I took the class on a dare," she rushed to explain. "But I ended up enjoying the class. I mean it's kind of funny to realize just how pathetic muggle lives are." That was a lie. She had taken the class as a dare, but she didn't think there was anything pathetic about the muggle world. They were quite adventive, those muggles. And adaptable. Although the Rosiers were an elite family Druella did not hold the same views as her family or some other pureblood families. She didn't think she was any better than anyone else. She'd never admit this out loud, however. Doing so would get her labeled as a blood traitor. She'd be shunned by the pureblood world.

Cygnus relaxed at her response. "I guess that would be funny," he agreed. "Still, I don't think you should take the class next year."

Druella felt her temper prickle. "I'd rather you didn't tell me what classes to take," she snapped waspishly. 'Besides, Muggle Studies is a useful elective for me to take considering my future career."

"Career?" Cygnus exclaimed surprised. "You won't have to work once we're married."

"I know I won't have to. I want to," she replied insistently. "I want to be the first female Minister of Magic."

Cygnus's eyebrows raised comically. "You really are nothing like I expected," he said getting up from the fountain's ledge. He offered his arm once again to her. "Why don't we go back inside and join the party. I'm sure the dancing has started by now, and I would quite like a turn with you on the dance floor."

Druella grimaced as she took hold of his arm. "You wouldn't if you'd ever danced with me before," she replied. "I'll probably step all over your toes. I'm a dreadful dancer."

"Ah, you've just never danced with any fellow who knows what he's doing. It's all in the leading," he assured her. She smiled. Maybe her mother was right. Maybe she could learn to love Cygnus Black III. She might even fall in love with him.


End file.
